Global health news briefs

March/April 2025 | Volume 24 Number 2

Publisher introduces FAIR² Data Management

In a world of AI, the principles of findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability (FAIR) must be reimagined. From March 1 through March 7, Open Data Day 2025 celebrated shared data with both in-person and online events across the globe. During the week, Frontiers launched its FAIR² Data Management Pilot, a first-of-its-kind “data steward” that helps scientists get credited and cited for their research. It works by leveraging AI-assisted curation to structure research data for publication, and so makes data easier to find, reuse, and analyze—both by humans and machines.

World Bank launches 4th edition of Disease Control Priorities

The World Bank launched the first volume of its fourth edition of Disease Control Priorities (DCP4) on March 6. The publication, which builds on the economic evidence of the first three editions, provides the most up-to-date evidence on intervention efficacy and program proficiency for leading causes of disease across the globe. DCP4 uses a collaborative, country-specific approach to summarize, produce, and help translate economic evidence into better priority setting and capacity strengthening for universal health coverage, public health functions, and pandemic preparedness and response.

Lassa fever vaccine enters phase 1 clinical trial

Currently, there are no approved vaccines against the Lassa virus, which causes a hemorrhagic disease that is endemic in parts of West Africa. Thomas Jefferson University has initiated a phase 1 clinical trial for a Lassa virus vaccine developed in collaboration with the Center of Vaccine Development and Global Health at University of Maryland, Baltimore. The study is supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Dementia risk doubles for people living with HIV in Malawi

A recent study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia finds that adults living with HIV in Malawi are more than twice as likely to have dementia as those without HIV. Led by Dr. Haeok Lee of New York University’s Rory Meyers College of Nursing, the researchers found that 22% of people with HIV had dementia, compared with 10% of those without HIV. Prevalence increased with age in both groups, yet, for those with HIV, incidence rose more rapidly and diagnosis tended to be at a younger age. The team included researchers at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences and Daeyang University, both in Malawi, and the country’s Ministry of Health. Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston University and Rutgers Medical School also contributed.

Researchers identify microbial family in Amazonian rainforest

Researchers from Arizona State University and the National University of the Peruvian Amazon have described a previously unknown family of microbes in Peru’s northwestern Amazonian rainforest. Their study, published in Microbiology Spectrum, suggests these complex organisms are uniquely adapted to the wet, low-oxygen conditions of tropical peatlands. The researchers believe the microbes, which are thousands of times smaller than a grain of sand, play a dual role in the carbon cycle, providing carbon dioxide stabilization (helping to store or sequester carbon dioxide in vegetation) and carbon monoxide detoxification.

Meningococcal vaccine is safe for infants in sub-Saharan Africa

The African meningitis belt is a region of 26 countries in sub-Saharan Africa where meningitis rates are very high. In March, The Lancet published research showing that a vaccine protective against five strains of meningitis is safe and effective when co-administered with other routine immunizations in children at ages 9 months and 15 months. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases supported the research, which was conducted in Mali by researchers from University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Updated March 28, 2025

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